Get out and explore

Spring Riding in the San Juans

After an extended hiatus from updating the site, I’ve decided it’s probably time to start populating it again. Let’s see how long this lasts…

I stumbled across a brand new Venture Storm splitboard for %50 off at the local ski swap in November ’15 and could’t pass up the deal. Never go into a ski swap with the notion that you’re NOT going to buy anything. That’s just foolish. Venture snowboards are born in Silverton in the heart of the San Juans and are bred for big lines and deep pow.

Spring time in the San Juans is comparable, in my mind, to a day at the beach. The weather is a bearable 30-40 degrees, but when the sun is out it feels more like 60. Off comes the jacket and out comes the sun screen..

April rolled around and the snow pack started to settle down a bit. Time to take the Venture back to where she’s from and rip some avy shoots. The Pump house is a wide but mellow avalanche shoot about 5 minutes north of Silverton. The line is commanding and looks down on you as you gear up for the skin. We skinned to about 11,500′ – roughly to tree line and decided to drop in there. There is a big open bowl just above the shoot, which offers some epic lines if the conditions are right. Not today though, the legs were screaming and it was time for some downhill turns.